Typical environmental monitoring devices tend to be either stand-alone network attached appliances or simple, proprietary add-on sensors connected to such appliances. These typical environmental monitoring devices generally have high power consumption rates and are expensive. In addition, these typical environmental monitoring devices are often large and difficult to install.
Environmental monitoring systems are often used to measure moving fluid mass. HVAC, irrigation, fuel distribution, ventilation and cooling are some of the applications in which it is desirable to measure mass flow rate. Typical flow rate sensors use calibration or rely on precision components to maintain accuracy from unit to unit. These sensors typically consume a great deal of power and are expensive. Many such sensors lack sensitivity to low mass flow.
Accordingly, an improved environmental monitoring device would be desirable.